


Memories

by Angelwithwingsoffire



Series: Sterek One Shots [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, post season two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-08 19:42:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelwithwingsoffire/pseuds/Angelwithwingsoffire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Stiles and Derek get in a fight, Stiles gets shown Derek's past by an...unlikely party, Derek's own mother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Memories

**Author's Note:**

> So just like my other one shot, I have no idea what this is. I just wanted to write with Talia and Stiles and well, this happened. Yeap.

Stiles stormed from the house, fuming from his argument with Derek. Once again he’d lied and kept things from Stiles which almost resulted in Scott getting killed. And Stiles was sick and tired of it. He ran into the forest, sprinting towards the clearing. They’d set it up last year for the humans in the pack. If the pack encounters something they can’t handle, they grab the humans and bring them there. The human finishes the loop of mountain ash around the clearing and the pack is safe until it’s broken.

Stiles ran straight for the clearing, willing the ring to close after him, and fell to the ground inside the clearing, tears streaming down his face. He crawled to the center of the clearing, where the oak sapling the pack had planted together grew, and curled up in a ball under it, letting his tears flow freely.

“Don’t cry little one.” A female voice said.

Stiles looked up, scrambling to put his back to the tree, not recognizing the voice. “Who’s there?” He called. “Who are you? And how did you enter this circle?”

“I never left.” The woman responded, stepping into view.

Stiles gasped, he knew who she was. “You’re dead.” He whispered.

Talia Hale threw her head back laughing. “Did you know that there are legends that people die twice? Once when their life ends.”

“And once when they are forgotten.” Stiles finished.

She nodded and smiled down at him kindly. “I’ve been with you for a long time Stiles. I knew you’d be important to my son and couldn’t let his naïve thoughts ruin what I know is meant to be.”

“I don’t believe in destiny.” Stiles declared.

“Neither do I. But I do believe that everyone finds someone special in their lives. The one person that makes you complete. And you’re Derek’s and he’s yours.”

“He lied to me. Again.”

She smiled. “He doesn’t trust people Stiles. Especially those that love him.”

“Why not?”

She held out a hand. “I can’t tell you, but I can show you. I am a part of this forest and it has it’s memories, buried deep down inside it. I can show them to you. If you want.”

Stiles hesitated for a moment before reaching out a hand and getting to his feet. “What do I do?”

She smiled as she took his hand. “Just watch.” She turned to the side and her eyes flashed alpha red.

Suddenly they were somewhere else. Stiles was shocked as he recognized the back of the Hale house. But not as it is now, rebuilt after a fire, but as it was originally. Beautiful and familiar to Stiles even if he’d never seen it before.

“This was our house.” Talia said. “Before the fire.”

Both of them looked at the door as it opened and a group of kids tumbled out, laughing and play fighting. Talia smiled softly. “That was my family. My kids, Matt, Laura, and Derek along with their cousins, Peter’s kids, Kyle and Holly.” Stiles could easily pick Laura out of the group, she looked just like her mother, but he couldn’t spot Derek.

“Which one is Derek?”

“You see the dark haired one, with green eyes and that silly grin on his face?”

Stiles nodded, he seemed to be the happiest of the kids.

“That’s Derek.”

Stiles was shocked. “ _That’s_ Derek?”

Talia nodded. “He was fourteen here. This is a full moon. The kids got hyper the most. The adults could control it but the kids gained all the energy of the full moon. And Derek was always happy to play with his family. Other boys his age used to say he was weird for that, but he didn’t care. He loved his family. His pack. They were his everything.”

“And then he lost you all.” Stiles whispered.

Talia nodded. “Come on.” Her eyes flashed again and they were in a new place.

They stood on the edge of a creek, the woods felt happy and free and the creek was clear. Talia pointed down steam a bit to where there was a small, rocky outcropping. And sitting on it were two figures. Stiles could recognize Derek now that he’d seen him before, but he hoped that the girl wasn’t who he thought she was.

“Is that?”

“Yes.” Talia said, cutting him off before he said her name. “The girl that took my boy’s innocence and used it to her own means. She made Derek fall in love with her, by using her body. And he was a teenage boy, he couldn’t help it. We accepted her warily into the house but none of us ever trusted her. She was an Argent after all. But he loved her, or he thought he did. This was their fifth time to this spot. And their last.”

“He looks so happy.” Stiles whispered, wishing he could make Derek feel that way.

Talia smiled sadly. “Yes, he does, doesn’t he?” She looked away from her son and his…other to look at Stiles. “Are you ready for the next one?”

Stiles took another look at Derek, happy with another person, and nodded.

Talia took a deep breath. “Try not to scream. They can’t hear you.”

Stiles opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but her eyes had already flashed and he knew before he even asked. They were standing back in the clearing with the Hale house in it, except now it was night, and the beautiful white house that had stood there was in flames.

Stiles could hear screaming and turned to look. He was shocked to see Derek, being held back by Laura, screaming and struggling to get to the house. He went with Talia as she led him around to stand by them, giving Stiles a view of what he was seeing. Hands, reaching from the barred basement windows, reaching out to try and escape. He could hear the painful screams of those inside as they fought for life. Stiles covered his mouth with his free hand as he turned to stare at Derek. His face was screwed up in pain and his mouth was open in a wordless scream.

“Like I said, he loved his pack.” Talia whispered. “And when you’re a pack, you’re connected. My two little wolves had to feel it as each of us were cut from them. One by one the connections died. They had to feel our deaths Stiles.” She looked away from her son’s pained face to look down at the human. “Can you understand that? Can you understand the pain they felt this day?”

Stiles nodded.

“Good. Then we won’t linger here.” Talia said. Her eyes flashed red and they were back in the forest.

“KATE!” Stiles heard Derek scream. He turned just in time for past Derek to step through them, running through the forest.

“What is it darling?” A sickly sweet voice said. She stepped from the trees ahead and gave him a smile. “What’s wrong?”

“They burned Kate!” Derek screamed. “They burned! And there was mountain ash around the house! I couldn’t save them!”

“Honey, you were supposed to burn with them.” Kate said, the smile dropping and a disgusted sneer replacing it. “If you and your no-good sister had come home when you were supposed to, you’d be dead to! And I wouldn’t have a no-good, evil, vile, werewolf in love with me!” She screamed.

Stiles was sure his face looked a lot Derek’s which was molded into shock at the words he was hearing.

“What-what are you saying?” Derek asked quietly.

“You really thought I wanted you? _You_?! When I could have any hunter I wanted?! Why would I choose you over them? They’re strong, and capable, and old enough to care for a girl. And you’re just a kid. A little kid who fell for the first girl who ever let him touch her. Pathetic. But I’ll come back for you. Dad needs me on a hunt in Maine, but I’ll be back. Don’t you worry Derek, I’ll come back for you.”

Derek stood there in shock as Kate turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees. Derek fell to his knees, his head bowed. His shoulders shook as he tried to control himself.

“What’s happening?” Stiles asked, worried.

“He just lost his anchor. He’s trying to find a new one.” Talia whispered.

Just then, Derek’s head flew back and Stiles saw he was in full beta mode, his eyes glowing blue. Then, the hair shrank away and his eyes returned to normal. Once he was human, he fell forward onto his hands.

“What was it?” Stiles asked, curious.

“His anchor?”

Stiles nodded.

“Laura.” Talia answered. “The only person he had left.”

Stiles watched as Derek stood up and walked away. Stiles looked at Derek. “He loved her. And she used him to kill his family.”

Talia nodded. “Just wait. There’s a couple more memories.”

Stiles nodded and watched Talia’s eyes flashed. They were in a new part of the forest now, but once again Derek was kneeling on the ground.

“What’s wrong?”

“This is the night you all faced the kanima, and made him Jackson again.” Talia whispered. “The night you guys defeated the kanima. The night he saw love conquer what nothing else could. His anchor, anger, left him that night.”

“And he’s finding a new one?”

She nodded.

Stiles watched Derek shake, wondering why it was taking so long.

“He can’t find one.” Talia whispered, knowing what Stiles was thinking. “He isn’t close to anyone anymore. Everyone he loves is dead.”

“That’s depressing.”

She laughed lightly. “Yes I suppose it is.”

They waited in silence as the shaking got more pronounced.

“What’s wrong?”

“He found one. Someone he could trust.”

“Then what’s happening?”

“He’s fighting it.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s in love with them. And he doesn’t want to be. He doesn’t want to care about what happens to a human boy.”

Stiles looked at her in shock. “Me?”

“Stiles.” Derek whispered. Stiles head shot back towards him. “No.” Derek grunted. “I can’t.” He started repeating that phrase, over and over. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. And then his phone, which was sitting on the ground in front of him, blipped to life with a text. Stiles knew what it said without seeing it. It was from him. He’d texted Derek and asked if he was okay. And then Derek gave in. With a roar, his head flew back, same as last time, but now his eyes were red. And then the wolf faded, the human side taking over again. When Derek fell forward again, Stiles could hear the broken sobs.

“Why is he crying?” Stiles asked, feeling a little upset. He’d texted that night because he truly cared about Derek and wanted to make sure he’s alright. And instead he made him cry.

“He made his anchor the one person in the world he doesn’t want to love. Because he already does.”

“What does that mean?”

“Remember Kate Stiles.” Talia answered. “Remember how he gave her everything, and she tore him apart. She almost made him rabid when she tore away from him and left him anchorless. He doesn’t want to trust anyone, let alone love someone. He realized in the pool at your school that he cared, and it scared him. So he pushed you away. But this night is when he finally gave up fighting. He let go. But he wasn’t happy about it. He didn’t want to give away his heart again because the last time he did, he was shattered. Understand?”

Stiles nodded slowly. “Yea. I think I do.”

She smiled. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you speechless Stiles Stilinski.”

Stiles smiled and blushed. “Is there more?”

She nodded. “One more.”

Stiles nodded. “Let’s go then.”

Talia smiled and her eyes flashed again. Now they were in another part in the forest. And for the first time since the memory of Derek with Kate when he was happy, the forest seemed happy. Then he spotted what Talia was showing him. This was the day Stiles and Derek first kissed. Stiles was putting wards around the clearing the newly rebuilt Hale house is in while Derek watched him carefully. At the time he’d thought it was because Derek didn’t want him to mess up, every time he looked at him he was glaring back at him, but now he could see what he couldn’t see at the time. The soft smile that was on Derek’s face as he watched Stiles move around the clearing, dancing a little to whatever tune had been in his head that day. It was a look he’d never seen on Derek before. He was open. Carefree. _Happy._

“That smile is because of you Stiles.” Talia whispered. “For the first time since the fire, my little boy is smiling. Because of _you_. That’s why he’s so closed to you. He still can’t trust freely. He loves you more than anyone else in the world, but he doesn’t know how to show it. He keeps things from you because he doesn’t want you in danger. He felt the pain of losing his pack, and then he lost his anchor. He doesn’t want to feel that again. If you were to get hurt because of him, or what he thinks is because of him, he’d never forgive himself. He still beats himself up for being so rough with you when you first met him, but he doesn’t know how to in a relationship anymore. You need to show him. Show him that you’re capable of taking care of yourself. Promise him you’ll do your best to stay out of danger if he promises to tell you things. Love is about compromises Stiles. Find a happy medium. I don’t want to see my little boy in pain ever again. Okay?”

Stiles nodded, a few tears welling up in his eyes in response to Talia’s speech and the tears in her eyes.

She smiled. “Good. Now let’s get you back. And then maybe you should talk to him. Tell him what you saw today. And Stiles?”

“Yea?”

“Tell him that the fire wasn’t his fault. And that we all died painlessly that night.”

Stiles nodded.

She smiled and she faded from sight.

Stiles opened his eyes to see he was back in the clearing, standing by the oak tree, and that Derek was outside the circle watching him with worried eyes. Stiles waved his hand, breaking the circle. Derek sprinted forward and crushed Stiles to his chest in a tight hug.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “I’m sorry I just- I can’t lose you.”

“Because I’m your anchor.” Stiles whispered.

Derek pulled back looking at him. “How did you know?”

Stiles smiled. “I met someone very special just now. And she showed me some things. And I understand now. “

Derek looked confused. “Who? And what do you understand?”

Stiles smiled. “I’ll tell you. But I’d really like to go home first.”

Derek smiled and nodded, taking Stiles’s hand. “Home.”

“Home.”


End file.
